Blinded By The Snow
by Hex Project X214
Summary: [AU/1st Season Storyline] A new threat and perhaps a new ally shows up in the city of angels and it is up to Angel again. But this time, it might just set him free...


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Disclaimer: I own no characters that are from the original series and I do not claim to own them. Characters from the show are all owned by their rightful creators as the original characters in the fic belong to me.  
  
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Chapter One:  
  
  
[LA, the city of angels. How fitting for a demon that is damned with a soul. A demon that has to protect the living for his damnation to end and to be saved. Such a fitting place for an angel of the living, who happens to have come from a world of darkness and fire. How fitting it is indeed.]  
  
A cold chill blew through LA as a dark haired figure stood atop a metal fence of one of the new corperate buildings that have been built out of public eye for the past year and a half. No one has seen the structure, to the human eye the plot looked like nothing more then a vacant lot. However, it seemed that the beauty that had been the work of many beings was going to be revealed soon.... the grand opening to take place at midnight.  
  
Eyes of emerald stared at the dark sky as a smirk brushed across darkly painted lips, "I hope you're ready, for you'll need to be a guardian more then ever now.... in day or night."  
  
Then with a harsh winter breeze, the fence rattled violently. There was nothing after, all that remained, an empty lot and the howling wind.  
  
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In a nearly empty office, a lovely woman sat, boredom seemingly having taken her over while she played with a pencil in her hand. Her fall colored hair framed her face, making her eyes viberant with an almost playful light. The phone rang and her face lights up with delight.  
  
"Hello, Angel Investigations." she says in a cheerful voice, then dropping to monotone, "No, you have the wrong number."  
  
With an exasperated sigh, she slammed the phone onto it's reciever, "There is no way I'm going to survive another day like this."  
  
"Cordelia, would you at least try to look happy?" an older man said, stepping into the room, his almost colorful shirt seeming to brighten and add a spark to the room, "There's no need to act like you're on your death bed."  
  
"Maybe I am and no one notices," Cordelia said, her voice low and dull, bored out of her mind, "It's so boring, I mean, I came here looking for fame... and even though I know this was probably good back up, I don't want to be stuck in here. I can be out shopping right now. I can be out with friends, Doyle , friends!!"  
  
"Cordy," the half demon said, "What friends? I thought we were the only friends that are even close to you."  
  
"Thank you, thank you so much for rubbing it in!" the woman said, she pouted, making Doyle smile ridiculously at her, "For someone who gets mind numbing visions, you sure are no women pleaser."  
  
The older man sat next to the window and laughed, "I've got quite the charm if you look at it the right way."  
  
"Ha, I would rather not," with that, the room fell silent again. It was afternoon and Angel would be manning the tunnels at that hour. Unless he somehow escaped the bright and glaring sun outside.  
  
"You know, I thought that winter would be a bit more.... exciting here." Cordelia said, "I mean, this is LA, the city of angels, the place for all of the stars to go! Where's the excitment... where's the snow?!?"  
  
"There is a thing called climate." Doyle said, turning to the the woman that had been a bit of a facination to him for a while, though he had never had the courage to tell her.  
  
A sudden rapping on the door caught both their attention. Before them stood a young woman, probably no more then her twenties. She had platinum blonde hair, pulled back with a claw, and viberant blue eyes that seemed to have lit up the room, even more so then the sunlight coming through the windows.  
  
"I'm guessing I came during your lunch break?" she asked, her voice husky, yet very clear, like bells playing out an unknown tune.  
  
"No, no, not at all," Cordelia said, shifting in her chair, "How may we help you?"  
  
The blonde took a seat in front of the desk and adjusted herself. Her business suit seemed to bring out a more serious side to her features as she spoke, "There seems to be some sort of a problem lately down by the lake near my house and many have claimed to seeing someone wandering in that area. I'm a little more then paranoid, though I have the best security system. I'm hoping you guys can help with ridding me of the.... um.... inconvinance."  
  
"Sure, no problem, just leave the address and someone will be over by nightfall to check out the problem," the perky secretary said, somehow a new client brightened her entire mood.  
  
"Thank you, I will pay you once the problem has been taken care of," the woman said, scribbling down a few notes on the notepad on the desk, slightly turning her gaze to Doyle, "By the way, my name is Ashton. Ashton Kane, if you need to know anything else feel free to call."  
  
With a glace at her watch, Ashton gasped and grabbed her bag, "Look at the time! I have to get to work! It was very nice meeting you two, thank you and remember to call for anything at all."  
  
The blonde rushed out of the building, the glass door slamming, leaving the remaining two occupants of the room somewhat baffled.  
  
"Not a woman pleaser eh?" the dark haired man asked, smirking.  
  
"Shut up!" Cordelia exclaimed, looking at the address. It was neat and well printed, but somehow the address seemed almost out of place, "Have you ever even heard of this place?"  
  
With a quick glace at the paper, the half demon replied, "No, but a job's a job."  
  
"Yeah, where's Angel when you need him?"  
  
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The tunnels were dark, yet his eyes let him see. There was a sense of familiarity with the dark coldness that surrounded him. He knew the way all too well, yet, wishing that somehow he would not be stuck in a place such as that. He had been plunged into darkness for over two hundred years and no matter how he wanted to see the day, he would always be reminded.... that the light..... burned him.  
  
"For a vampire, you sure are an early riser, Angelus." a female voice said from behind him, "I guess you're just special."  
  
"How about we just say I'm nocturnal." Angel said, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"  
  
"God, why is everyone here so fucking formal about greetings with things that look like threats??" the person said, her tone of voice reminding the vampire of a certian girl that was in the Angel Investigations office.  
  
"Okay then, who are you?" he asked, trying to find the right words.  
  
"That's better," came a chipper reply as the figure emerged form it's corner. She looked no more then sixteen with flowing black hair and piercing blue eyes, "My name is Halo, H for short if you would like. I'm here to inform you of a few things, though you might never believe me."  
  
Halo gave Angel one of those oh-you-really-are-better-looking-in-person looks, "Anyhow, something is coming and you should be ready for it. Your friends just got a case and I think that you should be there for it. You might just have to be their guradian angel. I trust you know what I mean by that."  
  
"Why are you telling me this?"  
  
"Oh, I haven't gotten to that yet, but time is short. I have much to do and many places to go, but here's a card," a sudden beeping caught her attention. She pulled out a beeper from one of her pockets, "Well, look at that. I have a client that has a date with a meat grinder and another that has one with a whip. What naighty naughty boys we have here."  
  
Halo turned her back and walked into the shadows once more with Angel trying to hold her back.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute." but she was already gone and out of sight.  
  
[How's that possible?] he asked himself. He shook it off as he glanced at the small card that she had handed him. Printed in dark blue ink on the card was just simply: Halo Glare: Mage  
  
[A mage?] was the one question that popped into the vampire's mind, [what's a mage doing here? And on that kind of business...]  
  
Brushing off the meeting, Angel walked about the tunnels again, maybe, just maybe, it was time to go back and see just exactly what type of job has just been given to AI. Maybe he would have to prepare himself... if that girl was right, then he would have to be careful with what he did.  
  
TBC........  
  
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A/N: Hey, this is my first ever Angel fic and I hope that you guys are enjoying it so far. I hope you guys review and tell me what you think. Thank you very much. 


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